About Rachel Weinstein

I founded Wooden Spoon Wellness in 2013 after more than a decade of success using whole foods and alternative healing methods to address my health issues. Within that time, I lost 30 pounds and regulated my digestion and menstrual cycle. My mental and spiritual health shifted dramatically as well. I shed emotional baggage, I was able to see my value in the world, enjoy my life, and tap into my creativity in ways that were previously unavailable.

Prior to founding Wooden Spoon Wellness, I was a professional for many years in the non-profit world as an educator for a powerful, international human rights organization. I also worked for many years in the publishing industry, supporting the production of multiple books for ivy league academic publishing houses. I had very high standards for myself and pushed myself hard. At one point, I worked a 40-70 hour/week job, I had a part-time job to earn extra money, and I was writing my Master’s thesis. My health suffered tremendously and I had to stop work altogether. This was my rock bottom moment as well as my “Aha!” moment.

As I was recovering, I noticed that I was surrounded by female colleagues and friends who were on the path to burn out or already there. They were passionate about their careers and their loved ones but many experienced chronic health issues and stress, regularly felt depleted, alone, and/or dis-empowered. I started to see that I was part of a culture of women who were sacrificing themselves to produce amazing things for the world. In addition, as a result of the health issues I’d endured as well as the stories I heard from people around me, I became increasingly aware of the shortcomings of the American health ‘care’ system, particularly as it related to women’s bodies.

Women’s empowerment has always been important to me and I ultimately decided that the best way I could make change was to broaden the learning I had been doing for myself to support others. That is when I became a certified holistic health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and founded Wooden Spoon Wellness.

I decided to incorporate yoga education into my practice because, whether or not we are attuned to it, our bodies hold onto our experiences. We independent professional women tend to spend a lot of time in our heads though and can become disconnected from our bodies. Yoga in particular can be a great remedy for this.

Yoga changed my life when I began practicing in 2002. My self awareness dramatically increased and I began to feel present in my body: I learned it’s signals and language. Where I previously felt crowded out of my life at times, on the mat, I found spaciousness and lightness. I believe yoga and Ayurveda (the healing tradition from which yoga derives) provide a helpful language for understanding the body and its connection to the mind and spirit.

My learning is on-going however, and it is my humble privilege to share the knowledge I’ve gained thus far to show women ways to stir their own pots for lasting wellness and to spur larger societal shifts from a place of love and a belief that the entire world benefits when we are all nurtured.

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